If you are diagnosed with non-specific urethritis (NSU), the infection will usually be treated with antibiotics (medicines to treat bacterial infections). The healthcare professionals at the genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic or sexual health clinic will arrange your treatment.
If your urethritis is caused by gonorrhoea, this may be treated differently. See the Health A-Z topic about Gonorrhoea - treatment for more information.
Antibiotics
Treatment with antibiotics may be started before you receive your test results (see NSU - diagnosis for information about the tests). If your test results then indicate that your NSU is not due to a bacterial infection, treatment with antibiotics will be stopped.
Most people with NSU are prescribed antibiotic tablets or capsules. This may be:
- azithromycin, which is taken just once as a single dose
- doxycycline, which is taken twice a day for seven days
You will usually not need to return to the clinic as long as you have:
- taken your treatment
- made sure that any recent partners have been treated
- not had any sex until a week after everyone has been treated
In some cases it may take two or three weeks for your symptoms to disappear completely.
You should not have sex, including vaginal, anal and oral sex, until:
- you have finished your course of doxycycline, or it has been seven days since you took azithromycin
- you have no symptoms
- your partner or partners have also been treated
Side effects
Antibiotics may cause some side effects, such as:
- feeling sick
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
For more information about your medicine, see the Medicines information page for NSU.
Antibiotics used to treat NSU may interact with the combined contraceptive pill and the contraceptive patch. If you use these methods of contraception, your GP or nurse will be able to advise you about which additional contraception is suitable for this time.
NSU and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
While not all cases of NSU are caused by a sexually transmitted infection (STI), it is possible to pass on NSU during sex. Therefore, you should treat all cases of NSU as an STI and ensure that all recent partners have been treated. You also shouldn't have any kind of sex until you are certain that the condition has cleared up.
NSU does not tend to cause any noticeable symptoms in women, but it can still affect a woman's long-term health. The bacteria associated with NSU can trigger the development of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
Therefore, you should always inform your current partner and any recent sexual partners if you are diagnosed with NSU. They will also need to be tested and treated for the condition.
Informing partners
It is important that your current sexual partner is tested and treated. Any sexual partners that you have had since being exposed to the STI will also need to be informed, so that they can also be tested and treated.
It is suggested that you inform any person that you have had sex with in the last three months, but this time frame can vary. The healthcare professionals at the GUM clinic will be able to advise you.
Some people can feel angry, upset or embarrassed about discussing STIs with their current partner or previous partners. However, do not be afraid to discuss your concerns with the healthcare professionals at the GUM or sexual health clinic. They will be able to advise you further about who should be contacted and the best way to contact them.
With your permission, the clinic can arrange for a 'contact slip' to be given to your former partner or partners. The slip explains that they may have been exposed to an STI and advises them to have a check-up. The slip does not have your name on it and your details will remain totally confidential.
Nobody can force you to tell any of your partners about your STI, but it is strongly recommended that you do. Left untested and untreated, STIs such as chlamydia can have serious effects on a person's health, particularly for women.
Complications of untreated chlamydia include:
